Backdoored? Well you be the judge...

[Randy Shields]

I just posted this link in the 1999 BC International with no Serial# thread but thought it might be deserving of it's own post. I saw this sellers stuff a couple of weeks ago and was pretty amazed at what he has.

Have a look and just keep scrolling...

https://www.ebay.com/sch/leximo2/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_ipg=&_from=

 

[tramers]

ODDS greater than powerball

 

[gracecollector]

Leximo has had this printer scrap stuff for years. I don't think it walked out the backdoor of Topps, but the backdoor of the printer Topps used. Test runs/printer's proofs and uncut panels.

A lot of us player collectors have bought his stuff for it's oddball appeal. No doubt it's the real thing - just not issued by Topps, but part of the production process.

 

[Randy Shields]

Leximo has had this printer scrap stuff for years. I don't think it walked out the backdoor of Topps, but the backdoor of the printer Topps used. Test runs/printer's proofs and uncut panels.

A lot of us player collectors have bought his stuff for it's oddball appeal. No doubt it's the real thing - just not issued by Topps, but part of the production process.

Being out of the hobby for a few years I wouldn't have noticed this before and I certainly don't recall it before my hiatus. Either way though to have cards like this going back to the early 90's, wouldn't it seem that Topps is well aware of this and just doesn't care? To me it looks bad for Topps and their printing company either way. For player collectors I'm sure this is a great avenue for some nice oddities but it just seems rather odd that this one individual, unless I'm missing others, would have the bulk of this type of inventory.

So again while I get the player collectors aspect I'm just not sure how I feel about this. I stumbled across his listings for the first time looking for Trammell and Whitaker who I personally collect but I didn't pull the trigger. And while I'm not about to critical be judgemental of any player collectors such as yourself or others wanting to add these cards to your collections in any way, it just doesn't seem very ethical and I didn't want to pad his pockets. Those were just my thoughts when I initially saw this. Will I pick up any? I don't know and I don't mean to come across as self-righteous and indignant but again I just didn't have a very good gut feeling when I saw this.

 

[goobmcnasty]

Yeah, he’s always had Topps stuff. It seems recently though he’s started getting Fleer products as well.

 

[gracecollector]

If you buy them knowing what they are (printer proofs) and he's not selling them as something they're not, I'm okay with it.

I work in advertising and deal with printers all the time. So these types of oddities hold an appeal to me. I won't pay much for them, but I find some of them pretty cool. I do wonder if he received permission to take these materials. Seems like he held on to them for a long time, and started selling them about 3-4 years ago.

I lump all this stuff into a pre-production category. Uncut panels, oversize margin proofs, separation proofs, no-foil cards, non cut die-cut cards, paste-ups, etc. Besides Leximo's Topps stuff, there are other dealers with DLP bankruptcy material. The most interesting of this stuff to me is cards that never were (paste-ups and digital prints of card sets / inserts that never were produced).

 

[nosterbor]

I for one like them. When you get to the point where adding to your PC is like winning the lotto. Adding these that you don't have is nice.

 

[joey12508]

i bought some stuff from leximo always reasonable for what it is.

 

[mouschi]

I think they are pretty great, so long as people don't start trying to add aftermarket serial numbers on them. But yeah - super excellent cards imo.

If you buy them knowing what they are (printer proofs) and he's not selling them as something they're not, I'm okay with it.

I work in advertising and deal with printers all the time. So these types of oddities hold an appeal to me. I won't pay much for them, but I find some of them pretty cool. I do wonder if he received permission to take these materials. Seems like he held on to them for a long time, and started selling them about 3-4 years ago.

I lump all this stuff into a pre-production category. Uncut panels, oversize margin proofs, separation proofs, no-foil cards, non cut die-cut cards, paste-ups, etc. Besides Leximo's Topps stuff, there are other dealers with DLP bankruptcy material. The most interesting of this stuff to me is cards that never were (paste-ups and digital prints of card sets / inserts that never were produced).

Brad, if you get a chance, post a pic of a regular version of that glove card. IIRC, it was die cut as a glove. If that's the case, your glove card you posted above is flippin' sweet! I'm a big fan of these sorts of things, though I personally like them as a standard card size, whereas you appear to be okay with them oversized.

 

[gracecollector]

I think they are pretty great, so long as people don't start trying to add aftermarket serial numbers on them. But yeah - super excellent cards imo.



Brad, if you get a chance, post a pic of a regular version of that glove card. IIRC, it was die cut as a glove. If that's the case, your glove card you posted above is flippin' sweet! I'm a big fan of these sorts of things, though I personally like them as a standard card size, whereas you appear to be okay with them oversized.

Here's the card as pack issued. The proof card from leximo would have been cut from a sheet before it was die-cut. It was on the edge of the sheet, with the color density bars in the margins (used to ensure ink density is correct). 1997 Stadium Club Patent Leather insert.

 

[mouschi]

Here's the card as pack issued. The proof card from leximo would have been cut from a sheet before it was die-cut. It was on the edge of the sheet, with the color density bars in the margins (used to ensure ink density is correct). 1997 Stadium Club Patent Leather insert.

Yeah, that's right up my alley. I love having die cut cards that aren't cut like that. So wished Jose had a glove one like that but he wasn't known for his glove as much as he was his head!

 

[JVHaste]

I opened one box of 99 Bowman (for some reason) and iirc pulled 1 international refractor, but don't recall seeing a # nor is it in my 90s #ed bin. Some could have just been failed to stamp, Bowman quality control is much better nowadays.

I could be wrong but will try to verify.

 

[mouschi]

I opened one box of 99 Bowman (for some reason) and iirc pulled 1 international refractor, but don't recall seeing a # nor is it in my 90s #ed bin. Some could have just been failed to stamp, Bowman quality control is much better nowadays.

I could be wrong but will try to verify.

VERY interesting!

 

[joey12508]

I think they are pretty great, so long as people don't start trying to add aftermarket serial numbers on them. But yeah - super excellent cards imo.



Brad, if you get a chance, post a pic of a regular version of that glove card. IIRC, it was die cut as a glove. If that's the case, your glove card you posted above is flippin' sweet! I'm a big fan of these sorts of things, though I personally like them as a standard card size, whereas you appear to be okay with them oversized.

I bought a 98 golden aniveresery no number not from leximo, just so no one could add a fake number to it.

 

[mouschi]

I bought a 98 golden aniveresery no number not from leximo, just so no one could add a fake number to it.

I think the no numbers are so bloody cool. Adding the numbers aftermarket just sucks!

 

[banjar]

I like these cards too. Sellers like leximo usually represent them as what they are, and they are fun to pick up. Prices are usually OK too.

 

[JVHaste]

VERY interesting!

Fake News! I tracked down the Jeff Yoder I thought was this way and it was only a plain refractor, so no # needed. My mistake. At least I found some other cool cards I forgot about in the process.

 

[cardcop05]

I just posted this link in the 1999 BC International with no Serial# thread but thought it might be deserving of it's own post. I saw this sellers stuff a couple of weeks ago and was pretty amazed at what he has.

Have a look and just keep scrolling...

https://www.ebay.com/sch/leximo2/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_ipg=&_from=

leximo obviously has a friend that works in the sports card printing area (way in the back) for Great Western Inc. (printer of nearly all cards from every card company) & slips cards that were meant for the Industrial Shredder "out the back door" just like you thought.

In the early 1990's Topps had all their high gloss & gold foil cards made by a North NJ company who were busted for having several employees stealing cards that were supposed to be destroyed. I busted a Fl dealer for selling full 1992 Topps Gold sets (not stamped winner) in September, 1991 (way before 1992 Topps was ever released!). He wanted $5,000 a set and I know he had a few sets at least.

Plus in very rare cases (maybe 1:500 or less) cards without serial numbers (but should have one) make their way into packs. I even have a 2011 Leaf Metal Muhammad Ali REFRACTOR base card I pulled from a pack #/125 on the front (every refractor card was serial numbered to 125) that has another serial number on the back which is #001/125! These things happen, but are rare.

 

[Dilferules]

In the early 1990's Topps had all their high gloss & gold foil cards made by a North NJ company who were busted for having several employees stealing cards that were supposed to be destroyed. I busted a Fl dealer for selling full 1992 Topps Gold sets (not stamped winner) in September, 1991 (way before 1992 Topps was ever released!). He wanted $5,000 a set and I know he had a few sets at least.

Considering 1992 Topps had full 1991 season statistics on the back, I'd be more concerned about this company's time travel technology that they would need in order to have complete 1992 Topps sets in September 1991, than I would be about the backdooring.

 

[WizardofOz1982]

Considering 1992 Topps had full 1991 season statistics on the back, I'd be more concerned about this company's time travel technology that they would need in order to have complete 1992 Topps sets in September 1991, than I would be about the backdooring.

Now, now, don't let a little thing like facts get in the way of a good conspiracy theory story.